Newcastle United may have been handed an opportunity with Luis Suárez, two months after Sporting rejected their approach for the striker.
Back then, the situation looked very different. Suárez had just finished an outstanding debut season in Portugal, scoring 38 goals in 53 matches. Sporting considered him fundamental and pointed Newcastle towards his €80m (£69m) release clause.
A lot has happened since. But the Portuguese press believe the transfer market is still paying attention.
Situation has changed since Newcastle approach
Two months ago, Sporting rejected the approach and made it clear they wanted the full €80m (£69m) clause. The Magpies remained attentive, but there was little indication the Portuguese champions needed to contemplate a sale.
Then came the Fenerbahçe episode. Hakan Safi, who was running for the Fenerbahçe presidency, publicly announced he had reached an agreement with Suárez. He presented the striker as one of the signings he intended to make if elected.
Safi then lost the election heavily and the proposed transfer disappeared with his candidacy. The story itself did not disappear quite so easily in Portugal.
Tuesday’s print edition of Correio da Manhã explains the episode left an “open wound” at Sporting.
Suárez never publicly addressed Safi’s claim. According to the newspaper, he went on holiday, returned and offered neither an explanation nor any public reaffirmation of his commitment to Sporting.
The newspaper believe that silence damaged the relationship between the striker and supporters.
Poor World Cup followed by difficult Sporting return
Luis Suárez then endured a disappointing World Cup with Colombia and returned to Portugal without building on his outstanding first season.
A Bola say the 28-year-old came back from the tournament without the best physical condition. His subsequent performances have not been enough to immediately regain his previous status.
The newspaper also points towards a wider personal and professional context which has not provided the stability needed for Suárez to play his best football.
His difficulties then extended into Sporting’s preparations for the new campaign. A training incident last week created another controversy around the striker.
Suárez completed an exercise used to collect biometric data and headed towards the dressing room. However, Sporting’s training session had not yet finished.
Rui Borges called him back and the Colombian reluctantly returned to the pitch to complete an additional exercise. Then he entered into a ‘heated row’ with another player.
Some coverage in Portugal initially presented the incident as possible insubordination.
A Bola make clear that Borges categorically rejected that interpretation. There was no disciplinary procedure, Suárez received no punishment and he remains part of the manager’s plans.
Even so, the incident added to an already uncomfortable few weeks.
Starting place lost – and exit doubts grow
All that controversy had an impact. Luis Suárez started Sporting’s league opener against Estrela da Amadora on the bench, with Fotis Ioannidis preferred through the middle.
The Greek international took advantage. Ioannidis scored Sporting’s second goal in the 2-2 draw and his overall display pleased Rui Borges. A Bola say he will consequently retain his starting place against Vitória de Guimarães.
They stress that Suárez being on the bench should not be viewed as punishment. Sporting still consider him hugely important and want to recover the player who scored 38 goals last season. For the moment, though, the attacking hierarchy has changed.
It is against that background that questions about Suárez’s future are becoming louder.
Correio da Manhã have taken the strongest position. In their assessment of the situation, Suárez is giving “all the signs” of a player who wants to leave.
A Bola are more cautious. They refer to the “alleged desire” of the striker to seek a new challenge. Crucially for Newcastle, they add that recent events have caught the attention of the international transfer market.
Could Newcastle now find an opening?
Luis Suárez remains under contract until 2030 and has an €80m (£69m) release clause. A Bola say Sporting’s current plan is still to keep him.
Newcastle United, however, already know the player well. The Magpies made an approach in May after following Suárez during his outstanding first campaign in Portugal. Record reported at the time that Sporting rejected those advances and directed Newcastle towards the full clause.
Newcastle continued to monitor him afterwards, even when Sporting appeared to have complete control of the situation.
Two months later, that control does not look quite as absolute. The Fenerbahçe episode left a mark. His World Cup went badly. His return to Sporting has been difficult. He has been involved in controversy at training and has lost his starting place.
On top of that, one Portuguese newspaper now believes his behaviour suggests he wants to leave, while another says the international market is watching closely to discover his intentions.
For Newcastle, that could represent an opportunity which simply wasn’t there in May.
